


If we got nothing we got us

by puppybusby



Series: 9 days of Christmas [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Allison Argent & Stiles Stilinski Are Twins, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Punk, Established Relationship, F/F, Families of Choice, Photographer Allison, Slice of Life, background/implied relationships - Freeform, happy feelings, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-14
Updated: 2015-12-14
Packaged: 2018-05-06 18:01:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5426462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puppybusby/pseuds/puppybusby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I'm not exactly in the know for how a good traditional Christmas works.”</p>
<p>“Fuck that.” Cora rolled her eyes. “This is our Christmas, we'll do it our way.”</p>
<p>(Or: The group get together and have a day that Allison hopes she'll never forget.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	If we got nothing we got us

**Author's Note:**

> Part two of the 12 days of Christmas challenge. The prompt was "Unconventional christmas"   
> And well, I'm a sucker for families of choice.
> 
> Title from "Something I need" by One Republic

 

“Allison, you ready to go yet?”  
  
Allison grabbed her grey beanie from her dressing table and darted out of her bedroom. Pulling it onto her head. “Yeah!” She looked around the living room. “Stiles?”  
  
Stiles stumbled out of his bedroom, closing the door behind him before straightening up. He gave Allison a once over and laughed.   
  
“Well one of us is going to have to change.” He said.  
  
“Just take your beanie off.” Allison replied.   
  
“ _You_ take _your_ beanie off.”  
  
Allison rolled her eyes. “We're not doing this today.” She sighed, walking past him and the sad looking tree they had. (“It's not sad!” Stiles had protested. “It's misunderstood!”)   
  
They weren't even dressed the same, not really?  
  
Okay, similar jeans, Stiles' were black while hers were just a really dark blue, the tears weren't even in the same place, dammit.  
  
Yeah, they were wearing the same tank top, white with a black print of their favourite bands logo and there were the matching beanies, but Allison grabbed her blue and black flannel from the back of their tattered leather sofa and pulled it on, rolling up the sleeves and heading towards the kitchen.   
  
“How long till we have to be there?” She asked.  
  
“About half an hour?” Stiles replied, not sounding entirely sure of himself. “Hey, have you seen my Santa beard?”  
  
She opened the fridge, staring at said beard.  
  
“Found it.” She called to him. She pulled it out, along with the entire supply of alcohol.   
  
That was what they had to bring, others had been delegated with the task of providing food, which was a relief because there were only a few things that Allison and Stiles could cook. None of which felt very appropriate for a Christmas...ish dinner.  
  


Allison isn't entirely sure what to expect, if she's honest. But after the past few months since she an Stiles made the move to LA, since she met the wolf pack, since Lydia, Allison has definitely learned to expect the unexpected.

Allison focused on packing the alcohol into bags, trying to ignore the sounds of Stiles tripping over his own feet as he did... Whatever it was he was doing.

“Yo, Alli!”  
  
Allison turned around in time to see Stiles hop onto the counter, kicking his legs and lighting a cigarette.   
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“We ready to go?”   
  
Allison hummed, setting the bags beside him. “Let me just grab my camera.”

“Which one are you going with?”  
  
“The Nikon.”  
  
“You use that one a lot.”

Allison hummed again, moving around to the living room and grabbing her camera off of the shelf, flashing a sympathetic look at the rest of her cameras, she'd been neglecting some of them recently, not using them nearly as much as she used to.   
  
Stiles threw her bag at her and she slipped the straps over her shoulders.   
  
“No jacket?” Stiles asked.

“I'm not feeling it.”  
  
“You're going to get cold later.” Stiles replied, pulling his red hoody on and zipping it up halfway.

Allison waved a dismissive hand and walked back to the kitchen, grabbing the begs. “I'll be fine. You got the gifts?”  
  
Stiles hefted his improvised Santa sack over his shoulder, using his other hand to adjust the scraggly white beard on his face. “Yep, and you know I'm just doing my big brotherly duty.”  
  
Allison grabbed her keys from the counter, “We're the same age.”  
  
“Ten minutes older thank you.” Stiles replied, sounding extremely proud of himself. “Now come on, Erica will kick our ass if we're late and Lydia will kill me if I don't get you to her in one piece.”  
  
Allison dropped her gaze and bit her lip at the mention of her girlfriend, moving past Stiles into the hallway. She and Lydia had been dating for less than two months, it had been a whirlwind. Everything had happened so fast.  
  
  
Sometimes she couldn't believe just how much had changed and how quickly it had happened.   
  
It felt like only yesterday they were walking the floor of the tattoo convention, looking for the next big deal, the perfect story for the magazine. That had been when she had seen them.   
  
Lydia, who looked nothing short of a goddess with her white dress and vibrant red hair, tattoos proudly on the show and Derek, six foot of muscle with one of the most incredibly intricate sleeves she had ever seen disappearing under the sleeve of his shirt, a hint of it reappearing across his collarbone.   
  
The crowds seemed to part for them and Allison wasn't one for clichés, for moments were 'their eyes met across the room'

Except that was what happened.   
  


She had been taking a picture when Lydia had looked up, straight into the camera and that had been where it started.  
  
They came over to introduce themselves before Allison could warn Stiles and plan an escape from the unfairly attractive duo. That had turned to impromptu coffee which extended to an invite to Derek's sisters studio.  
  
From there it was just a matter of being dragged willingly into their lives and Allison couldn't be more thankful for it.

She knew Stiles felt the same.

Stiles locked the door behind them both and gave her light nudge with his elbow. “You good?”  
  
Allison smiled. “Yeah, I'm good.”

 

 

Forty minutes, one wrong turn and a broken elevator later, they found themselves outside of Erica and Boyd's apartment, it was the only one on the floor and easily the best apartment in the building, manufacturing technology aside.   
  
It was the blonde who opened the door, Allison was immediately hit with warmth from inside of the apartment, music and laughter from everyone inside.   
  
“About time!” Erica said, she looked over her shoulder. “Silver twins are here.”  
  
“Always with the silver.” Stiles rolled his eyes.   
  
“I like the sexy Santa look.” Erica replied, gesturing to Stiles. “Also, matching beanies. Cute.”  
  
“Unintentional.” Allison shrugged. “Your elevator is broken.”  
  
“I know.” Erica sighed. “Trust me, Cora has already made that very well known.” Her gaze flickered over to the bag Stiles was holding, she beamed, mouth falling open In a wide smile. “Is that for me?”  
  
“Down girl.” Stiles replied. “Literally like two of them.”  
  
Allison held up her own bags. “I come bearing booze.”  
  
“A true angel.” Lydia said, appearing at Erica's side. “Hey.”  
  
Allison managed to not blush. “Hey.”  
  
Erica and Stiles muttered something and she was aware of Erica taking the bags from her and disappearing back into the apartment, leaving Allison and Lydia alone in the hallway.  
  
“Merry Christmas.” Lydia said, stepping closer.  
  
“Merry Christmas.” Allison replied.  
  
Lydia smiled and reached up to grab Allison's beanie, pulling it down over her eyes, before Allison could fix it, she felt Lydia's lips against her own, a hand curling around her waist and pulling her flush against the other girls body.   
  
“Come on Angel,” Lydia whispered, pushing Allison's beanie up just enough so that she could see again. “Everyone's inside.”  
  
Lydia took Allison's hand and Allison let herself be led into the apartment, closing the door behind her.   
  
Immediately she saw Boyd in the kitchen, brightly coloured apron tied around him and sporting oven mitts decorated with tiny chickens. Laura was behind him, messing with the oven. She waved at them and they smiled back, offering small waves back.

“Argent! About time!” Cora called.   
  
Allison looked over to the living room where the rest of the group were, the sofas had been pushed back and the coffee table removed to make the space more open.

Everyone was sat in a circle, Kira sat at one end, guitar propped in her lap as she excepted a bottle of beer from Stiles, Malia was at her side, playing with the ipod that was currently in the docking station. Next to her was Scott and Derek, who looked like they had been in the middle of a serious looking conversation but were now smiling up at her and Lydia. Cora was beside her brother, lounging back and clutching a bottle of tequila.

“What took you so long?”  
  
Allison shrugged. “We got lost.”  
  
“They're here now, and that's what's important.” Lydia replied, dropping down onto one of the cushions and pulling Allison down with her. Allison kind of loved the way that when they were together, they always had to touch, Lydia always had to touch her, it felt like they were magnets, drawn to each other, unwilling and unable to tear themselves apart and for as long as it was possible, Allison wanted nothing more.

“Where's Isaac?” Allison asked, looking around the apartment and confirming that the boy wasn't with them.  
  
“Up top,” Scott replied. “He's setting everything up.”  
  
“When we tried to offer to help he kicked us out.” Malia shrugged.   
  
“That was because you kept trying to make out on the dinner table.” Erica said, moving to join them in the living room and stealing a beer from Stiles. Stiles rolled his eyes and passed one to Allison and Lydia. “So, food first or gift giving first?”  
  
“Food, definitely food.” Cora said.   
  
“Everyone else?”  
  
There were murmurs of agreement, they had so much time today, there was definitely no need to rush.  
  
“In that case, dinner will be done soon, so you know... Just keep chilling.”  
  
“You don't have to tell us twice.” Lydia replied, toasting her bottle in Erica's direction. 

  
“Kira, play something!” Scott smiled, shifting forward to look at the girl.   
  
“Um, what?”  
  
“Anything but a Christmas carol.” Derek muttered. Allison nodded her agreement.

Kira looked unsure but nodded and began to strum out an unfamiliar tune. When she started to sing, Allison let her gaze flit over to Malia and she didn't stop herself from reaching into her bag for her camera. 

She felt Lydia lean against her as she took the picture, Malia's awestruck, love filled expression the focus, Kira was in the shot too, in focus while everything around them was blurred as though they were the only two people in the room.   
  
Allison smiled as she lowered her camera, she couldn't wait to develop it.   
  
“How was your morning?” Lydia asked, voice muffled by Allison's shoulder.   
  
“It was okay, me and Stiles slept in, he made pancakes, we swapped gifts. It was... Great. What about you?”  
  
“It was okay, my mom called. Wanted to make sure I wasn't dead I guess. Derek roped me into helping him bake.” She hesitated for a moment. “Did your parents call?”  
  
Allison held back her bitter laugh and shook her head. “We didn't really expect them to. They're still mad at us.”  
  
“They'll come around Alli.”  
  
“Honestly, if they did, what would it change? They don't agree with me and Stiles, dropping out of college, moving across the country... Tattoos, piercings, not being entirely straight?” She smiled at Lydia. “It's fine.”  
  
“It's not.”   
  
“I know.” Allison agreed, leaning in to brush their lips together. “But I'd rather them be there while I'm here with the people I love and accept me than anything else.”  
  
“Amen.” Stiles muttered from beside her. He lifted his bottle and she tapped her own against it, she hadn't even been aware that he had been listening.   
  
Lydia settled against Allison, resting her head on her shoulder. Allison trailed her fingers over the lines of Lydia's tattoos, the brightly coloured koi on her left arm, the delicate flowers. Each line perfect and intricate, just like Lydia herself.  
  


Allison had lost track of the amount of times she had taken pictures of Lydia's tattoos (of Lydia in general) but she doesn't stop herself when the urge comes, she isn't sure that she'll ever be able to take a perfect picture of Lydia (how can you capture perfection?) but she'll try. She'll never stop trying.

 

Isaac joined them after about twenty minutes, smiling softly to himself and pulling the sleeves of his cardigan down over his hands as he sat close to Kira. He looked pleased and content.

 

It was so easy to be around them, Allison never felt like she had to do anything to impress them. It was comfortable and reassuring to have so many people around her who supported her no matter what. To be able to spend the day at Laura and Cora's studio and take pictures of them drawing their designs, to go down to Omega and watch Kira rehearse, alone or with her band.   
  
Going out with them all was her favourite, drives in Boyd's truck, days on the beach, rummaging through thrift stores and fooling around.

She loved them all, but it was the days where she was with Lydia were her favourite, where Derek had left them the apartment to themselves and they could just have the day to themselves. Where Allison could wake up in Lydia's bed, crisp white sheets that barely covered them. Mornings filled with slow, languid sex and late breakfasts, walks to the park and getting ice cream and taking pictures of each other, watching the clouds roll by and telling each other stories of their lives before their paths crossed.  
  
From there they'd probably meet up with some of the others for dinner and spend their evening passing around a joint and watching as the world moved around them.

She was lucky, was what she was trying to say.  
  
And to be able to spend Christmas with them? A day that, for whatever reason, most of them had never cared for? It was perfect.   
  
It was their day and Allison wouldn't change it.

 

“Dinners ready!” Boyd called. Laura came past him carrying a stack of plates.  
  
“Who wants to help set the table?”  
  
“I will.” Allison replied, turning to press a kiss to Lydia's cheek before pulling away and standing up.   
  
“Lydia, you can grab the cutlery.” Laura said, pushing the plates into Allison's hands. She turned to grab some more and smiled back at Allison.   
  
Allison followed Laura across the apartment, to a sturdy wooden door, she could hear Boyd delegating tasks behind her, the rest of the group getting up from their circle to go about their work.

Laura opened the door revealing a set of stairs and followed her up to another door, Laura winked at her and Lydia before opening the door to the roof, stepping through and Allison froze.  
  
It wasn't the first time she had been up onto the roof, they'd eat up there regularly. It had a spectacular view of the city and was so open and beautiful, it was wonderful.   
  
But today? It was gorgeous.   
  
Isaac had strung fairy lights across the entire terrace, it left Allison breathless, the huge oak dinner table had been pushed back slightly, making a wider open space for later.   
  
“It looks good, doesn't it?” Laura asked.

“Stunning.” Allison whispered.

“It really is.” Lydia added, coming to stand beside Allison. Behind her, she heard Stiles let out a low, impressed whistle.   
  
“Come on,” Laura said. “Lets set the table.”  
  
They moved so easily, Allison moving around the table and setting her plates down, Lydia was close behind, setting down cutlery. Allison could see Kira setting up the speaker dock and putting on some gorgeous instrumental music while Stiles and Cora brought the alcohol up.  
  
Boyd, Erica and Derek followed next, bringing the food. Trays of lasgana and bowls of macaroni and cheese and garlic bread and pizza and tacos and bowls of salad and potatoes and Allison had never seen so much food in one place and there wasn't a sign of a turkey anywhere. Everyone was smiling and laughing as they took their seats, there was no plan but nobody complained. It was an unspoken rule that Boyd would take the head of the table. Allison took her seat, Lydia settling on her right and Derek on her right, Stiles sat opposite her, smiling at her before he turned to say something to Scott.   
  
Lydia squeezed her hand as everybody settled down, passing her the bottle opener so she could open her beer, she passed it along to Derek. While everybody kept talking, Allison grabbed her camera, snapping several shots. Scott and Stiles laughing together, Kira slapping Malia's hand away as she tried to reach for the garlic bread. Boyd leaning back in his seat as Erica leant over to kiss him, Cora and Laura laughing hard at something. She turned to her right and snapped a picture of Derek taking a swig from his beer, looking so peaceful. He raised an eyebrow at Allison and she shrugged before turning to her left, spending a moment just watching Lydia before she brought the camera back up, taking one of Lydia smiling at Kira and a second when she turned to look at Allison and Allison kind of loved the way that the lights seemed to make her eyes sparkle more than usual.

“Allison!” Erica called. “Does that thing have a timer on it?”  
  
Allison glanced down at her camera. “Yeah.”  
  
Erica pointed to a spot at the other end of the table. “Set it up there, get a group shot if you want.”  
  
Allison blushed a little but nodded, getting up from her seat and heaving over to the spot, making sure the camera was in the perfect position before setting it up.  
  
They'd all become so used to her just taking pictures, they were happy to let her do it too, encouraged it even. She really was lucky.

“Okay, smile guys.” Allison said, quickly getting back into position and turning towards the camera. She felt Lydia drape her arms over Allison's shoulders, chin coming to rest on her shoulder and pulling her back into her. Allison reached up to cover one of Lydia's hands with her own.  
  
“Smile Alli.” Lydia whispered in her ear. Allison could only smile more.   
  
The flash went off and in a normal scenario, everybody would relax, the smiles would fade. Allison knew that, she had twenty family Christmases to attest to that.  
  
But not this time, this time, the smiles didn't fade, it felt like they were in a bubble, the happiness filling and surrounding them and it was consuming and brilliant. Derek was the one to get her camera and bring it back to her, setting it on the table. Lydia turned Allison's head and kissed her gently.   
  
“Right, should we get started?” Erica asked, when everybody nodded she looked over to Boyd. “So, how do we do this?”  
  
Boyd shrugged. “I'm not exactly in the know for how a good traditional Christmas works.”  
  
“Fuck that.” Cora rolled her eyes. “This is our Christmas, we'll do it our way.”  
  
“Fine, fine.” Boyd sighed. He raised his beer. “Guess this is where we all go around the table and talk about our feelings-” Malia groaned. “I'm going to keep it short and just say, Merry Christmas, thank you for coming and making everything so crazy and entertaining.”  
  
“You're the weirdest group of people I've ever met.” Cora said, “But you're all pretty awesome.”

“I'm glad most of you can cook so it saves me a job.” Erica laughed.

“I just want to eat, but you're all cool, I guess.” Malia added.  
  
“Thank you all for being so supportive.” Kira said.   
  
“The only way this day could be better is if my mom were here.” Scott said.  
  
“You're the best friends I've ever had.” Isaac muttered. “I don't know where I’d be without you all.”  
  
“Likewise.” Stiles added. “Me and Alli would be lost if we hadn't found you.”  
  
“I thought I was the one that was lost.” Lydia smiled, bringing Allison's hand up to her lips. “To have you all here in this big scary city makes it a little easier.”  
  
Allison stroked her thumb over Lydia's knuckles. “I've learnt that family isn't just the people you were born with. There's more to it than that. Family is what you make of it, you choose your family. For a long time, it felt like it was just me and Stiles. And then I met you guys. You guys are my family, you've all been here for me, for us. You're so supportive and I feel so safe and at home with you guys. I just... Thank you, all of you.”  
  
Allison cleared the throat when silence fell and looked expectantly at Derek.  
  
“I can't follow that.” He said. He held up his beer. He looked over to Laura, Cora and Malia. “To the family we choose.” He looked around the rest of the table. “And a bond that goes beyond blood.”  
  
Everybody else held up their beers and smiled.   
  
“Right!” Erica clapped her hands together. “That was a cute moment, but lets eat!”  
  
“Finally!” Malia yelled, launching for the garlic bread.   


  
  


After too much food and too much laughter, Cora declared that they should give out their gifts. Nobody wanted to go back downstairs just yet, only leaving to bring their gifts up.

Cora had brought her gear, telling the group that she was going to give everyone a tattoo for Christmas, Laura had to be the one to remind her that a tattoo gun and half a bottle of tequila did not often go hand in hand and to please wait until the next day. (she reluctantly agreed)  
  
Allison couldn't fault the gifts she had been given, more film for some of her cameras, a new beanie from Erica, an ounce of weed from Malia, and a painting (hand painted) from Derek himself.

Lydia handed her a neatly wrapped gift, white and silver striped paper. “Merry Christmas, Angel.” She smiled.   
  
Allison handed Lydia's own gift over to her, biting her lip nervously. She and Stiles had driven down to San Francisco to get her her present, she hoped she liked it.   
  
“Merry Christmas Lyds.”   
  
She opened it carefully, not wanting to tear the paper. The paper fell away to a worn leather case and Allison's breath caught. She slowly opened it and she gasped.   
  
“Lyds...”  
  
She eased the camera out of the case, she turned it over slowly in her hands.   
  
“Do you like it?” Lydia asked.

“Lyds, this must have cost you so much... How?”  
  
It was a Voigtländer Prominent II, it was one of her dream cameras. Of all her years of searching, she'd only seen one, in a thrift store back on one of the first days she had hung out with the group, it had been broken and far too expensive for her.

“I saw you looking at it that day.” Lydia said quietly. “I could tell how much you wanted it. I found a guy and he managed to fix it.”  
  
“Lydia...”  
  
“There's film for it too.”  
  
Allison moved forward and wrapped the girl in a hug, burying her face into her neck. “I love it, I love you, so much. Lydia. It's perfect.”  
  
Lydia hugged her back. “I'm glad. I love you Angel”  
  
Allison pulled back and gestured to Lydia's gift. “Open it.”  
  
She checked the camera, making sure the film was in properly and brought it up to her face as Lydia began to open it. She managed to get a burst of pictures, perfectly capturing the shock in Lydia's face as she realised what Allison had brought her.   
  
A first edition copy of the little mermaid.   
  
When Lydia looked at her Allison smiled.   
  
“You told me it was your favourite book, that your grandmother used to call you Ariel.”  
  
“Allison, it's perfect.”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
Lydia kissed her. “Yeah.” She mumbled against her lips. “Yeah.”  
  
They kissed for what felt like forever, only pulling away when Erica's wolf whistles. They broke away laughing and turned to the rest of the group.  
  
“Lydia,” Stiles called, approaching them. “Can I borrow my little sister for a few minutes?”  
  
“Twin.” Allison corrected. But she smiled regardless.   
  
“I'll take this.” Lydia murmured, taking the camera from Allison. “Don't want Stiles to get you to accidentally drop it off of the roof.”  
  
“One time.” Stiles sighed.   
  
“And very traumatic.” Allison glared. She smiled at Lydia as she walked over to where the rest of the group were talking and drinking.

“It's a good day, huh?” Stiles asked, nudging his shoulder against hers.  
  
“The best.” Allison replied.   
  
“Did you mean it? The part about us all being a family?”  
  
“Yeah, course I did.” Allison smiled. “I can't believe how lucky we are.”  
  
“Yeah, me too.” Stiles agreed. He wrapped his arm around Allison's shoulder, pulling her beanie back to kiss her temple. “I think we've found a place to call home, Alli.”  
  
“Yeah.” Allison laughed. “I think so too.”  
  
They fell silent for a few moments, content to watch the scene around them.

"Merry Christmas, Alli."  
  
"Merry Christmas Stiles."

Malia walked over to the speakers and turned the music up, switching it to something a lot more upbeat, causing Stiles to start laughing.  
  
“Big brother calls first dance.” Stiles grinned, grabbing Allison's arms and tugging her towards the impromptu dance floor.  
  
Allison didn't bother to correct him, too focused on laughing as he span her around.

She was still laughing when Lydia cut in, taking her hands and pulling her close. The laughter just seemed to grow, happiness filling her heart.  
  


She wants to bottle up the feeling and keep it on her shelf, no matter how impossible that is. You can't capture something as bright and powerful and free as she love she feels for Lydia, for Stiles, for the rest of the group. All she can do is capture the snapshots and hope that traces of that feeling will get caught in the ink, evoking memories long down the line. Allison wants to be seventy and still remember the taste of beer and how it mixes it perfectly with Lydia's watermelon lip gloss. She wants to remember the sound of Erica's laughter and Kira's gentle voice as it mixes with her guitar. She wants to remember the feeling of Derek's arm over her shoulder, giving her warmth while Lydia went to the bathroom. She wants to remember the way the lights overhead twinkled and made her feel like they're in their own little galaxy.   
  
She wants the night to feel like infinity and so long as she has her snapshots of it, so long as she has her family...  
  


Lydia leant in to kiss her and Allison met her in the middle, lips brushing and filling her with warmth.  
  
  
Allison thinks that might be possible.  
  
  
  


 

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact, this was actually based on an AU i started working on back when I first became Allydia trash, though i never ended up publishing it :')


End file.
